Cleaning apparatus



Dec. 17, 1968 F. HOLZEMER CLEANING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1966 Dec. 17, 1968 FY. HOLZEMER 3,416,545

CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1.966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

INVENTOR Dec. 17, 1968 F. HOLZEMER 3,416,545

CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1966 v 5 Sheets-Sheets F IG. 3

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INVENTOR Fe rdil mm/ fialzez-w- F. HOLZEMER CLEANING APPARATUS Dec. 17, 1968 5 Sheets-Skeet 4 Filed Dec. 20, 1966 INVENTOR F BI' dmamz Dec. 17, 1968 F. HOLZEMER 3,415,545

' CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1966 s Sheets-Sheet a FIG. 7

INVENTOR 7 7614114?! Hdmwr United States Patent 3,416,545 CLEANING APPARATUS Ferdinand Holzemer, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, as-

siguor to Wilhelm Hegenscheidt Kommanditgesellschaft, Erkelenz, Rhineland, Germany Filed Dec. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 603,189 Claims. (Cl. 134129) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for cleaning bulky workpieces by spraying liquid under pressure from rotating nozzles against opposite sides of a workpiece while the latter is moved along a predetermined path between the nozzles. The nozzles are constructed, arranged and rotated in such a manner that the jets emanating from opposite nozzles will not interfere with each other and also in such a manner that the direction at which the jets impinge on the workpiece may be adjusted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known in the art to clean bulky workpieces by directing jets of a liquid under pressure, for instance cold water, by rotating nozzles against the surfaces of the workpiece while the latter is continuously moved between the nozzles. The cleaning effect of cleaning apparatus of the aforementioned type known in the art is insufficient because the rotating nozzles which spray the jets in different directions against the workpiece are not properly coordinated with each as far as the direction of the jets, the number of revolutions of the rotating jets and the ratio of the number of revolutions to the traveling speed of the workpiece is concerned. For instance, in known apparatus the jets emanating from opposite nozzles do sometimes interfere with each other during operation and intersect with each other before impinging on the workpiece. Especially when the workpiece is in form of a framework with large openings, the jets emanating from the nozzles will at least in part not at all impinge on the workpiece, but they are broken up before impinging of the workpiece by oppositely directed jets, or the jets have to penetrate through water masses rebounding from the workpiece.

In this case the water jets are atomized and lose their kinetic energy before reaching the workpiece so that the cleaning effect on the workpiece is substantially zero. Likewise, if the nozzles rotate at too great a speed, the jets emanating therefrom are broken up by centrifugal forces to thus lose their cleaning effect.

In known cleaning apparatus of the aforementioned type it is also not possible to properly correlate the number of revolutions of the rotating nozzles with the speed at which the workpiece is moved between the nozzles, to assure in this manner that every surface portion of the wokpiece is impinged by the jets. Due to this lack of correlation, the workpiece is usually not uniformly cleaned and after the workpiece has passed through the jets the workpiece has cleaned portions alternating with uncleaned portions.

If the workpiece has a very irregular surface, that is a workpiece provided with projections and cavities or a frame formed from profile iron, especially U-beam, it is desirable to direct the jets at an angle differing from a right angle onto the surface of the workpiece so that the jets may impinge also on partly hidden surface portions. Such a workpiece is, for instance, a railway truck on which considerable dirt accumulates after extended use and which has many partly hidden surfaces which can be reached only by jets coming from different directions.

Such railway trucks are in general of similar construction, however, railway trucks of different size have differ- 3,416,545 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 cut construction features so that if different railway trucks have to be cleaned in a shop with a cleaning apparatus of the aforementioned kind, the nozzles of the cleaning apparatus should be constructed so that the direction of the jets emanating from the nozzle may be adjusted so that different railway trucks may be properly cleaned with one and the same apparatus.

It is also often desirable that the nozzles are not only rotated, but that during operation of the cleaning apparatus the jets are also oscillated to improve the cleaning effect provided thereby. With oscillating jets as well as with nozzles in which the direction of the jets can be adjusted, it is especially important that a proper adjustment of the jets can be carried out so that the jets will not interfere with each other and intersect each other before impinging on the workpiece.

It is an object of the present invention to provide for a cleaning apparatus of the aforementioned kind which avoids the above disadvantages of cleaning apparatus known in the art. It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a cleaning apparatus of the aforementioned kind in which the direction of the jets emanating from the apparatus may be adjusted and/ or in which the jets emanating from the rotating nozzles may also be oscillated, while assuring that the jets will impinge onto the surface of the workpiece to be cleaned without intersecting each other before such an impingement.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for a cleaning apparatus of the aforementioned kind in which the workpiece to be cleaned is moved between the jets with a speed properly correlated to the rotational speed of the nozzles to assure that all portions of the workpiece are properly cleaned as the same is passed between the nozzles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To obtain the desired results, the cleaning apparatus according to the present invention mainly comprises moving means for moving a workpiece to be cleaned along a predetermined path, a plurality of nozzle means arranged to opposite sides of said path for spraying jets of liquid against the workpiece moving along the path, each of the nozzle means is rotatable about a turning axis and tiltable about a tilting axis substantially normal to the turning axis for adjusting the angle at which the jets of liquid will impinge on the workpiece. The cleaning apparatus includes further feeding means connected to the nozzle means for feeding liquid under pressure to the same, and drive means for rotating the nozzle means a synchronous speed about the turning axes thereof.

Each of the nozzle means includes at least one nozzle arranged spaced from the turning axis and the nozzle of each nozzle means to one side of the path is angularly displaced in a plane transverse to the turning axis through an angle with respect to the nozzle on the opposite nozzle means on the other side of the path.

The drive means preferably include motor means and transmission means connecting the motor means to all of the nozzle means for positively driving the latter with synchronous speed to thus maintain the angular relationship of the nozzle means relative to each other.

The apparatus may also include means cooperating with the drive means for oscillating at least some of the nozzle means about the aforementioned tilting axis. The

means for oscillating at least some of the nozzle means are connected to the latter for oscillating the nozzle means in the same direction and through equal angles.

The apparatus may also include means for tilting the nozzle means about the aforementioned tilting axis to an adjusted position and for locking the nozzle means in the tilted adjusted position. In this way, it is possible to adjust the direction of the jets emanating from the nozzle in such a manner that the jets will properly impinge on all surface portions of the workpiece to be cleaned and so that jets emanating from. opposite sides of the workpiece will not intersect each other before impinging onto the surface of the workpiece to be cleaned.

Preferably, the speed at which the moving means moves the workpiece past the nozzle is equal twice to the number of revolutions at which the nozzle means are rotated about the turning axes thereof times the width of the impinging jets at the surface of the workpiece. This will assure that all portions of the workpiece are properly cleaned Whilethe latter moves with the aforementioned predetermined speed past the rotating nozzle means.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal section through the cleaning apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2. is a partial cross sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 drawn to a slightly enlarged scale, the section being taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially cross sectioned side view of a nozzle unit in which the nozzles may not only be rotated about a turning axis but also oscillated about a tilting axis, and FIG. 3 is drawn to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the drive means for oscillating the nozzles of a plurality of nozzle units simultaneously about the tilting axis;

FIG. 5 is a partially sectioned side view similar to FIG. 3 and showing a different arrangement for oscillating the nozzles about the tilting axis;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the means for oscillating the nozzles of the unit in FIG. 5 about the tilting axis, the section being taken along the line VIVI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partially sectioned side view of a nozzle unit in which the position of the nozzle means may be adjusted by turning the same about the tilting axis;

FIG. 8 is a partially sectioned side view similar to FIG. 7 in which the position of the nozzle means may not only be adjusted, but in which the nozzle means may also be oscillated to opposite sides of the adjusted position thereof; and

FIG. 9 is an end view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing, and more specifically to FIG. 1 of the same, it will be seen that the cleaning apparatus according to the present invention may comprise elongated chamber means 4 having at opposite ends thereof doors 54 which may be raised and lowered so that a workpiece 1 which may for instance be constituted by a railway truck resting on carriage means 2 which are supported on rails 3 extending in longitudinal direction through the chamber means, may be transported in longitudinal direction therethrough. A chain 60 guided over a plurality of sprocket wheels 68 is connected at opposite ends thereof to the carriage means 2, and one of the sprocket wheels 68, for instance the sprocket wheel 68 at the extreme right, as viewed in FIG. 1, is driven by a motor 61 over -a stepless adjustable speed reducer 62 of known construction so that the carriage means 2 may be moved with the workpiece thereon at a predetermined speed, for instance through the opened door at the left side, as viewed in FIG. 1, of the chamber means 4 into the latter to be subjected therein to a cleaning operation and after being cleaned be moved through the open right door beyond the right side of the chamber means 4. A subsantially vertical frame 5 is arranged midway between the opposite ends of the chamber means 4 through which the rails 3 extend, and the frame is constructed, as best shown in FIG. 2, in such a manner that the carriage means 2 and the workpiece 1 thereon can be passed through the frame with ample clearance. Several spray units or nozzle means 6 are arranged spaced from each otheron the substantially rectangular frame 5, as best shown in FIG. 2, in such a manner that the nozzle means 6 on one side of the path along which the workpiece 1 moves are respectively arranged opposite corresponding nozzle means on the other side of the aforementioned path. Each of the nozzle means includes a nozzle head 15 rotatable in a manner, as will be described later on in detail, about a turning axis, and a pair of arms 11 projecting respectively to opposite sides of the nozzle head 15 and carrying on the free ends thereof the nozzles 12 through which jets of water are projected against the workpiece 1. As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle arms 11 of one nozzle means are displaced in a plane transverse to the turning axis through an angle of preferably with respect to the arms of the nozzle means opposite thereto. The nozzle heads 15 of all nozzle means 6 are rotated, as will be explained later on in detail, from common drive means which include a motor 9 which drives over a steplessly adjustable speed reducer 63 of known construction and bevel gears one of the drive shafts 7 which are arranged along the sides of the frame 5 and which are connected to each other by bevel gears 8 and which cooperate with the nozzle heads 15 of all nozzle means in a manner, as will be described later on in detail, so that all nozzle heads 15 are synchronously rotated from the motor 9. This central drive for all nozzle heads will assure that the relative angular position of the arms 11 connected to the nozzle heads will be maintained during operation of the cleaning apparatus.

As mentioned before, it is desirable not only to rotate thenozzle head 15 about a turning axis but also to oscil-y late the same about a tilting axis transverse and preferably substantially normal to the turning axis. Such a spray unit or nozzle means is shown in FIG. 3. The nozzle means illustrated in FIG. 3 include a stationary, preferably cylindrical member 27, fixed in a convenient manner, not

, shown in FIG. 3, to the frame 5, and which is formed in one of the side walls thereof with a coaxial bore through which a projecting portion 32 of a tiltable member 25 extends so that the member 25 is tilt-able with respect to the stationary member 27 about a tilting axis, that is the axis of the projecting portion 32 of the tiltable member. A tubular member 19 projects to one side of the tiltable member 25 and turn'ably carries at the free end thereof the nozzle head 15 with the lateral arms 11 and the nozzles 12 at the free ends of the latter. Water under pressure is'fed from a source not shown in the drawing through a tube 21 provided with a plurality of branched tubes 22, one for each nozzle means, which are respectively coaxially arranged with the tilting axes of the respective nozzle means and which extend, as shown in FIG. 3, in a sealed manner through the member 25 to communicate at the inner end with a passage 20 which in turn communicates with the passage 18 leading through the member 19 to the nozzle head 15 so that water under pressure may pass through the hollow arms 11 connected to the nozzle head 15 into the nozzles 12 to emanate therefrom in the form of jets onto the workpiece. The nozzle head 15 is rotated about its axis by means of a drive shaft 17 connected at its upper end, as viewed in FIG. 3, in a manner not illustrated in this figure to the nozzle head and the first drive shaft 17 carries at its inner end a bevel gear 16 fixedly connected thereto which meshes with a bevel gear 24 fixed to a second drive shaft 23 extending through the projecting portion 32 coaxially arranged therewith. The second drive shaft 23 carries at its left end, as viewed in FIG. 3, another bevel gear 29 fixedly connected thereto which in turn meshes with a bevel 28 fixed to the respective shaft 7 which is driven in the manner as described above by the motor 9. In this way all of the nozzle heads are simultaneously driven. The tiltable member 25 is held on the stationary member 27 by means of a screw cap 30 threadingly engaged with a screw thread provided at the peripheral surface of the member 27 and slidably engaging a flange on the tiltable member 25. When the screw cap 30 is tightened, the tiltable member 25 with the nozzle head thereon may be held in any angular adjusted position relative to the stationary member 27. On the other hand, the screw cap 30 may be adjusted so that the member 25 is freely tiltable or oscillatable with respect to the stationary member 27 about the aforementioned tilting axis. In order to oscillate the member 27 about the tilting axis, a pinion 31 may 'be keyed to the projecting portion 32 of the tilta'ble member while a rack 33 meshing with the pinion 31 may be oscillated by means of an oscillating mechanism, schematically illustrated in FIG. 4, which may include a flanged socket 36 fixed to the rack 33 and cooperating with :a wobble plate 35 fixed to the drive shaft 7 and cooperating with the socket 36 to oscillate the latter and the rack 33 connected thereto during rotation of the drive shaft 7. In this way the nozzle heads of a plurality of nozzle means 6 may be simultaneously oscillated through the same angle by being connected through one rack to each other as schematically shown in FIG. 4.

Another construction for oscillating the nozzle head about the tilting axis, that is the axis of the shaft 23, is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The nozzle means shown in FIG. 5 dilfers from the nozzle means above-described in connection with FIG. 3 only by the means for tilting the nozzle head 15 about the tilting axis. The arrangement shown in FIG. 5 includes a shaft 39 extending parallel to the shaft 23 in the interior of the stationary member 27 on appropriate bearing means, as schematically shown in FIG. 5, and being connected to shaft 23 for simultaneous rotation with the latter by means of a pair of spur gears 37 and 38 respectively keyed to the shafts 23 and 39. An eccentric 40 is likewise keyed to the shaft 39 to one side of the gear 38 and this eccentric is encompassed by one end of -a lever 41 which at the other end is pivotally connected by means of a pivot pin 33, as shown in FIG. 6, to the free end of another lever 42 which in turn is keyed at the other end thereof to the projecting portion 32 on the member 25. It will be obvious that during rotation of the shaft 23 the tiltable member 25 will be oscillated about the axis of the shaft 23 by the eccentric 40 fixed to the shaft 39 which is driven from the shaft 23.

FIG. 7 illustrates nozzle means similar to that discussed above in connection with FIG. 3 in which the member 25 with the nozzle head 15 thereon is not oscillated about the aforementioned tilting axis, but in which the angular position of the member 25 relative to the stationary member 27 may be adjusted. For this purpose the flange 46 of the member 25 is provided with a gear rim on the outer periphery thereof, and a pinion 64 carried by the screw cap 30' meshes with the aforementioned gear rim. The pinion 64 is keyed to -a short pin turnably carried by the screw cap 30' and a square end portion 65 of this pin projecting beyond the screw cap may be engaged with a Wrench or the like to turn the pinion 64 about its axis and to turn thereby the member 25 about the tilting axis that is about the axis of the shaft 23. After the member 25 with the nozzle head 15 thereon has been adjusted in this manner to the desired angular position relative to the member 27, the screw cap 30' is tightened to hold the member 25 in the adjusted position.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a further embodiment of nozzle means according to the present invention in which the angular position of the member 25 cannot only be adjusted relative to the stationary member 27, but in which the member 25' together the nozzle head 15 thereon may also be osoillated to opposite sides of the adjusted position. In order to adjust the member 25' relative to the stationary member 27, the flange 46' with the projecting 32' thereon through which the shaft 23 extends is separated from the remainder of the member 25 which abuts with an annular portion 48 against the right end face, as viewed in FIG. 8, of the flange 46 and the two parts are held together by a plurality of screws 67 which respectively ext-end through curved elongated slots 49, as best shown in FIG. 9 and which are screwed at the left ends thereof, as viewed in FIG. 8, in appropriately threaded bores in the flange 46. When the screws 67 are loosened, the portion 48 of the member 25' can be angularly adjusted relative to the flange 46', and in order to carry out such an adjustment, the member 48 turnably carries a worm 45 having an end portion projecting beyond the cylindrical member 28 and being formed with a square end to be engaged by a wrench so as to be turned thereby. The worm 45 meshes with a worm gear 66 keyed to the projecting portions 32' of the flange 46. When the screws 67 are loosened, the member 48 which carries the tubular member 19 and the nozzle head 15 at the end thereof can thus be adjusted with respect to the flange 46 by turning the worm 45. After the adjustment is carried out the screws 67 are tightened again so that the parts 46' and 48 of the member 25' are fixedly connected to each other and the member 25' is then oscillated about its adjusted position by oscillating means at descrcibed in connection with FIG. 5 which include the shaft 39, the gear 38 thereon meshing with the gear 37 on the shaft 23 and the eccentric means described in connection with FIG. 5 and connected to the projecting portion 32'.

The above-described cleaning apparatus will be operated as follows:

The workpiece 1 is placed on the carriage 2 outside of the chamber 4, the left door 54, as viewed in FIG. 1 is raised by a motor 55 connected thereto over a speed transmission and appropriate transmission means, schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, and then the motor 61 is started to move the carriage 2 with the workpiece 1 thereon by means of the chain 60 towards the right, as viewed in FIG. 1. The motor 9 which drives the shafts 7 in the manner as above described is likewise started so that various nozzle heads 15 are rotated about their turning axes in the manner as described before. At the same time water under pressure is fed by means of the pump 52 through the conduit 21 which supplies the various nozzle means 6 with the necessary water under pressure so that jets of water will emanate through the rotating nozzles 12 and impinge on the workpiece 1 as the latter is passed through the frame 5 which carries the various nozzle means 6. When nozzle means as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 5 or 8 are used, the nozzle heads 15 will not only rotate about the aforementioned turning axes, but also be oscillated about the aforementioned tilting axes. The direction of the jets impinging on the workpiece may be adjusted in the manner as descrcibed in connection with FIGS. 7 and 8 in such a manner that all portions of the workpiece will be properly impinged 'by the jets. The speed at which the workpiece 1 is advanced through the chamber 4 is properly correlated with the speed at which the various nozzle heads are rotated about the turning axes thereof by properly adjusting the speed reductors 62 and 63 in such a manner that the linear speed of the workpiece 1 through the chamber 4 is equal twice the number of revolutions at which the various nozzle heads 15 rotate about their turning axes times the width of the impinging jets at the surface of the workpiece. This will assure that all portions of the workpiece will be properly impinged by the jets during passing of the workpiece with a predetermined speed through the chamber 4.

The water rebounding from the workpiece 1 is guided over the inclined portions 56 at the bottom of the chamber 4 into a central settling box 53 from which it is again recirculated by the pump 52 through the conduit 21 to the various nozzle means 6. When the workpiece reaches 7 the right end of the chamber 4, as viewed in FIG. 1, the right door 54 is lifted by the motor 55 connected thereto so that the workpiece may leave the chamber in clean condition.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of a cleaning apparatus for cleaning workpiece differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in cleaning apparatus for cleaning bulky workpieces by means of water jets under pressure emanating from rotating nozzles, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cleaning apparatus for cleaning workpieces comprising, in combination, moving means for moving a workpiece to be cleaned along a predetermined path; a plurality of nozzle means arranged on opposite sides of said path for spraying jets of liquid against said workpiece moving along said path, each of said nozzle means being rotatable about a turning axis and tiltable about a tilting axis substantially normal to said turning axis for adjusting the angle at which the jets of liquid will impinge on the workpiece; feeding means connected to said noZZle means for feeding liquid under pressure to the same; and drive means for rotating all of said nozzle means at synchronous speed about said turning axes thereof.

2. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said nozzle means includes at least one nozzle arranged spaced from said turning axis, and wherein the nozzle of each nozzle means to one side of said path is angularly displaced in a plane transverse to said turning axis at an angle with respect to the nozzle of the opposite noZZle means on the other side of said path.

3. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said drive means includes motor means and transmission means connecting said motor means to all of said nozzle means for positively driving the same with synchronous speed to thus maintain the angular relationship of said nozzle means relative to each other during rotation of the nozzle means about the turning axes thereof.

4. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said nozzle means includes at least one nozzle arranged spaced from said turning axis, and wherein the nozzle of each nozzle means to one side of said path is angularly displaced in a plane transverse to said turning axis through an angle of substantially 90 degrees with respect to the nozzle of the opposite nozzzle means on the other side of said path.

5. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein each of said nozzle means includes a pair of nozzles arranged spaced from and respectively on opposite sides of said turning axis.

6. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including means cooperating with the drive means for oscillating at least some of the nozzle means about said tilting axis.

7. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said means for oscillating at least some of said nozzle means are connected to the same 'for oscillating said nozzle means in the same direction andthrough equal angles.

8. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including locking means for locking said nozzle means in any tilted position.

9. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including means for tilting said nozzle means about said tilting axis to an adjusted position and for locking said nozzle means in said tilted adjusted position.

10. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including means for tilting said nozzle means about said tilting axis to an adjusted position and means connected to the drive means and cooperating with said nozzle means for oscillating the same to opposite sides of said adjusted position.

11. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said nozzle means includes housing means comprising a stationary member, a tiltable member mounted tiltable about said tilting axis relative to said stationary member, and a nozzle head projecting from said tiltable member and being turnable relative thereto about said turning axis, said nozzle head including at least one nozzle having an end portion radially spaced from and extending in the general direction of said turning axis, said tiltable member and said nozzle head being formed with passages therethrough communicating with said nozzle, said passages having a passage portion arranged coaxially with the tilting axis, and said feeding means communicate With said passage portion.

12. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 11, and including means cooperating with said tiltable member for tilting the same about the tilting axis to an adjusted position relative to said stationary member, and means for locking said tiltable member in any adjusted position on said stationary member.

13. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 11, and including means for oscillating said tiltable member relative to said stationary member about said tilting axis.

14. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 11, and including means for tilting said tiltable member about said tilting axis relative to said stationary member to an adjusted position and for oscillating said tiltable member about said tilting axis to opposite sides of said adjusted position.

15. A cleaning-apparatus as defined in claim 11, and including means cooperating with said tiltable member for tilting the same about said tilting axis, said means including first gear means fixed to said tiltable member coaxial- 1y with said tilting axis and second gear means meshing with said first gear means.

16. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said'second gear means is in the form of a pinion mounted on a shaft substantially parallel to said tilting axis, said shaft having an operating portion for turning the shaft about its axis.

17. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said second gear means include a rack movable in direction substantially normal to said tilting axis, and means connected to said drive means and cooperating with said rack for oscillating the same in said direction.

18. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 11, and including oscillating means for oscillating said tiltable member relative to said stationary member about said tilting axis, said oscillating means comprising a lever fixed to said tiltable member and projecting in substantially radial direction away from said tilting axis, and eccentric means connected to said drive means and cooperating with said lever for oscillating the same about said tilting axis.

19. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said drive means include for each nozzle means a first drive shaft mounted in said tiltable member coaxially with said turning axis and connected at one end thereof to Said nozzle head, a second driveshaft mounted in said tiltable member turnable about said tilting axis, a first bevel gear fixed to the other end of said first drive shaft, a second bevel gear fixed to one end of said second drive shaft and meshing with said first bevel gear, and common drive means connected to the other end of the second drive shaft of all nozzle means.

20. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said first drive shaft extends through a portion of said passages.

21. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 19, and including a third drive shaft mounted in said stationary member turnable about an axis substantially parallel to said tilting axis, gear means connecting said second and third shafts for simultaneous rotation, a first lever fixed to said tiltable member and projecting in substantially radial direction away from said tilting axis, and eccentric fixed to said third shaft for rotation therewith, and a second lever surrounding at one end thereof said eccentric and being pivotally connected at the other end thereof to the outer end of said first lever.

22. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said tiltable member includes two elements angularly adjustable relative to each other about said tilting axis, and including a worm gear coaxially arranged with said tilting axis and fixed to one of said elements, and a worm meshing with said worm gear and turnably mounted on the other element.

23. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said stationary member has a wall having a peripheral substantially cylindrical surface provided with a screw thread, said wall being formed with an opening coaxial with said tilting axis, said tiltable member having a flange abutting against said wall and a projecting portion projecting through said opening and being turnably guided therein, and including a screw cap engaging said flange for holding the latter against said wall, said screw cap being threadingly engaged with said screw thread.

24. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said moving means are constructed and arranged to move 10 the workpiece along said path at a predetermined speed which is equal twice the number of revolutions with which saidnozzle means are rotated about said turning axis, times: the width of the impinging jets at the surface of the workpiece.

25. A cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said moving means include a carriage for supporting the workpiece, and means connected to said carriage for moving the latter with a predetermined speed along said predetermined path.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,677,320 7/1928 Anstiss 134-129 2,426,291 8/1947 Abrams 134144 XR 3,009,469 11/1961 Cunningham 134-123 3,259,138 7/1966 Heinicke 134--45 FOREIGN PATENTS 523,814 7/ 1940 Great Britain.

ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R. 

